Winglets may be included on the wing tips of an aircraft to reduce aerodynamic drag generated by the aircraft wings as the wings move through the air. Winglets effectively increase the length of the trailing edge of the wings which spreads out the distribution of vortices that are shed by the trailing edge and the wing tips. The redistribution of vortices along the wing trailing edge may result in a significant reduction of induced aerodynamic drag which may improve the performance of the aircraft.
A winglet may be provided as a single winglet extending upwardly from a wing tip. A winglet may also be provided as a split winglet having an upper winglet and a lower winglet extending respectively upwardly and downwardly from the wing tip. A winglet must be coupled to the wing structure in a manner capable of resisting bending loads at the winglet-wing tip juncture.
Occasionally, it may be necessary to remove a winglet from an aircraft, and replace the winglet with a new winglet of the same or different configuration. For a split winglet, it may be desirable to remove and replace only the lower winglet, or it may be desirable to remove and replace only the upper winglet. Unfortunately, conventional means for attaching winglets may require a significant amount of time for installation, removal, and replacement. In addition, conventional means for installation, removal, and replacement of a winglet may entail complex operations that may require partial disassembly of the wing at the winglet-wing tip juncture in order to remove and reinstall a winglet.
As can be seen, there exists a need in the art for a system for attaching a winglet to a wing that allows for installation, removal, and replacement of the winglet in a reduced amount of time and without the need for partial disassembly of the wing.